Govt. of India Post-Matric Scholarships for SC students - applications open
Looking for government scholarships for SC poor students for admission to college after Class 10? This article provides complete information on the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC students from low-income families. Details of the scholarship amount, eligibility criteria, how to get the Post-Matric Scholarship Freeship Card, etc. are provided.
The Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India has announced scholarships for over 60 lakh Scheduled Caste students to pursue higher education under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC students for the academic year 2023-24. The goal is to provide financial support to scheduled caste students whose family income is low to continue their studies after Class 10. The number of scholarships may be restricted at a particular institution as per the course for which it is offered and the number of seats that are recognized/authorized by the official authority. 
[Image source: print advt. in Hindustan Times, 10th Sept. 2023]
Post-Matric Scholarships Features
The students who will receive the Post-Matric Scholarship will be selected by the State Government/Union Territory to which the student belongs (this to be determined by the terms of domicile as decided by the respective States). The State Govt./UT will credit the scholarship amount into the student's account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).Eligibility requirements
The Post-Matric Scholarships will be awarded only to Indian nationals who belong to Scheduled Castes as specified by the domicile norms of the State/Union Territory to which the applicant belongs. It is essential to maintain a satisfactory academic performance and attendance of 75% in every academic year in order to get the scholarship up to the completion of the course.Other eligibility criteria are-
Age criteria: The age criterion for the course will be as per the norms of the educational institution where admission is taken.
Family income: The annual income of parents/guardians from all sources should not exceed Rs. 2,50,000/- during the last Financial Year. Note that you will need to produce the income certificate that is issued by the Authority as decided by the State Government, and is required to be taken just once, that is, at the time of admission only to courses that are continuing for more than one year.
Educational Qualification: You should have passed the Matriculation or Higher Secondary or any higher exam of a recognized University or Board of Secondary Education.
The Course: You should take admission for higher studies only at recognized institutes. This could be a Government or private higher secondary school/college/university/deemed university, as well as residential institutes. Ensure that the institute has an AISHE Code (the All India Survey on Higher Education code issued by the Central Govt.)/UDISE Code (the Unified District Information System for Education code issued by the Central Govt.) and has the required approval/affiliation from UGC/NMC/AICTE, etc as applicable and as per the requirements of the regulatory authorities of the Central Govt./UT/State Govt.
You can also avail of the scholarship to pursue a recognized Diploma program, or a technical and vocational course of not less than a year in an industrial training institute or industrial training centre which is affiliated with the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) of Classes XI and XII level, including Polytechnics and other courses. You are also eligible for the scholarship if you are pursuing your education through a correspondence course (including a distance and continuous education course)/online course in Central/State Universities only. In this case, the scholarship will cover non-refundable fees, but no academic allowance will be paid.
Note that you cannot avail of the scholarship if you switch streams/subjects. For example, you cannot pursue an undergraduate course in the Arts stream after an undergraduate course in the Commerce stream or take up M.Sc. Chemistry after M.Sc. in another subject.
Scholarship Amount and Duration
The scholarship will be provided for the entire course of the academic year and can be renewed during the next academic year of the same course and in the same institute, by producing a certificate that you have scored at least 50% marks in the previous year's exam.The scholarship will cover the compulsory non-refundable fees, including the tuition fees, and an academic allowance ranging from Rs.2,500/- to Rs.13,500/- per annum. A 10% extra allowance will also be awarded to Divyang students (especially disabled students).
The scholarship amount is shown in the table below-
[Table image source: Department of Social Justice & Empowerment official website]
How to avail of the Post-Matric Scholarship
Students are required to apply on the official websites of their respective States/UT on the date of getting admission to the course. Before applying, ensure that you have a valid mobile number, email ID, Aadhaar number (UID), an Aadhaar-seeded bank account, income certificate, and the Caste certificate.You need to also register for a Post-Matric Scholarship Freeship Card at the State's scholarship website. Give details of your Aadhaar number, the name of the course in which you wish to take admission (Class XI, B.A., etc.), as also an undertaking that you will pay the college/university's charges within 7 working days from the date of receipt of the scholarship amount into your bank account. This Freeship Card will enable you to get admission to the college/university/vocational or other recognized institute without pre-payment of tuition fees and hostel fees as per the guidelines of the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme. Ensure that you register prior to getting admission, but note that registration for the Freeship Card will be made available throughout the year. The Freeship card is valid for one year from the date of issue of the card.
Important notes: When availing of the Post-Matric Scholarship, you cannot hold any other scholarship or receive any stipend. If you have applied for, and are eligible to receive any other scholarship/stipend, then you must make the decision on whether to apply for that one or for the Govt. of India Post-Matric Scholarship. Accordingly, you must inform the awarding authority through the Head of the institution about your decision. However, you are permitted to accept free lodging or a grant or ad-hoc monetary help from the State Govt./UT or any other source towards expenses like study books, equipment, boarding fees, etc in addition to the scholarship amount paid under this scheme.
Contact information
For any issues related to the Post-Matric Scholarship, you can contact the District Nodal officer of your State, whose name and contact details will be available on the official website of your State's Department of Social Justice & Empowerment.For details of the Post-Matric Scholarship refer to the Central Govt. Department of Social Justice & Empowerment website: https://socialjustice.gov.in/
For details on various scholarships refer to the National Scholarship Portal, Govt. of India
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